My presentation at the 1st Int'l Workshop on Adaptive Case Management during the BPM 2012

1. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work
Presentation at 1st Int’l. Workshop on Adaptive Case Management, BPM’12, Tallinn, Estonia.
Nicolas Mundbrod, Jens Kolb & Manfred Reichert, Institute of Databases and Information Systems (DBIS), Ulm University

2. Nicolas Mundbrod, nicolas.mundbrod@uni-ulm.de
Institute of Databases and Information Systems (DBIS)
http://www.uni-ulm.de/dbis
© All rights reserved.

3. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Agenda
1. Problems and objectives
2. Fundamentals
3. Use cases
i. Characteristics
ii. Dimensions
4. Lifecycle
5. Conclusion and Outlook
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 3

4. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Status quo
• Routine work can be increasingly supported by information technology
• Companies outsource many standard processes to low-wage countries
• Globally competitive pressure concurrently requests:
• Constant and more rapid innovation
• Interdisciplinary research and development
• More individual services and products of a high quality
• Compliance to complex legal, financial and social norms
• …
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 4

5. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Structural transformation
• In highly developed countries, companies crucially depend on
knowledge-intensive jobs performed by highly skilled workers
• Meta-sectoral structural transformation is taking place
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 5

6. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Problems
• Only sparse research about knowledge work/workers yet
• Well known problems knowledge workers face today:
• Massive information overload
• Distribution of information and a lack of contextual relation
• Various information systems without problem-related interconnections
• Missing accessible/usable experiential knowledge
• Missing integrated and sustainable storage of gained experiences
• …
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 6

7. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Provoking question:
Why is there still no system
support for collaborative
knowledge work?
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 7

8. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Objectives
I. Clarifying the terms around knowledge work
II. Initial validation of the theoretical foundation with use cases
III. Establishing characteristics and dimensions of collaborative
knowledge work to gain first insights on requirements
IV. Creation of a collaborative knowledge work lifecycle to establish
a basis for a systematic, adaptive and sustainable support
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 8

9. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Agenda
1. Problems and objectives
2. Fundamentals
3. Use cases
i. Characteristics
ii. Dimensions
4. Lifecycle
5. Conclusion and Outlook
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 9

10. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Knowledge work
• Knowledge work is comprised of
• objectifying, intellectual activities,
• addressing novel and complex processes and work results,
• which require external means of control and a dual field of action.
• Main difference to intellectual work:
• Novelty
• Complexity
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 12

11. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Knowledge work process
• Result of complexity/dynamics: knowledge work cannot be described
by an undirectional cause & effect principle
Knowledge work processes cannot be specified in detail a priori
• Instead constant adaptions are needed:
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 13

12. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Knowledge workers
• Knowledge workers…
• have high degrees of expertise, education, or experience, and the primary
purpose of their jobs involves the process and the accomplishment of
knowledge work.
• professions are, e.g., Manager
Lawyer
Doctor Investigator Composer
Consultant Analyst
Researcher Software Developer
Designer Auditor
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 14

13. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Collaborative knowledge work
• Knowledge workers usually attach importance on individual autonomy.
• But complex and dynamic situations virtually coerce knowledge
workers to collaborate
• Objective I:
Collaborative knowledge work (CKW) is knowledge work jointly performed
by two or more knowledge workers in order to achieve a common goal.
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 15

14. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Agenda
1. Problems and objectives
2. Fundamentals
3. Use cases
i. Characteristics
ii. Dimensions
4. Lifecycle
5. Conclusion and Outlook
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 16

15. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Use cases
• Objective II: Different, representative cases were studied to examine
typical characteristics and dimensions of CKW.
• UC1: Mechatronic development project (automotive environment)
• UC2: Investigations into offenses (public authorities)
• UC3: Individual service request (financial environment)
• Related cases:
• UC1: Research projects, design projects, consulting projects, …
• UC2: Investigative work of attorneys, judges, auditors, controllers, …
• UC3: Exceptional requests/cases like claims, product change requests, …
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 17

16. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Agenda
1. Problems and objectives
2. Fundamentals
3. Use cases:
i. Characteristics
ii. Dimensions
4. Lifecycle
5. Conclusion and Outlook
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 18

17. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Objective III:
Characteristics of CKW
C1: Uncertainty
- Influencing factors
- characteristic per definition
C2: Goal Orientation
- Integrative factor of CKW
- Goals resp. subgoals/milestones
C3: Emergence of work
- Continuous planning &
performance of actions
- Proximity of time
C4: Growing knowledge base
- Common information base
- Individual knowledge growth
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 19

18. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Agenda
1. Problems and objectives
2. Fundamentals
3. Use cases
i. Characteristics
ii. Dimensions
4. Lifecycle
5. Conclusion and Outlook
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 20

19. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Dimensions of CKW
• Naturally, a lof of dimensions can be used to distinguish CKW
• Objective III: We identified nine dimensions we regard as „important“:
D1: Knowledge action types D6: Number of involved knowledge workers
D2: Usage of methodologies D7: Rigidity of temporal constraints
D3: Degree of interdisciplinarity D8: Degree of information interdependencies
D4: Organizational frames D9: Number of repetitions
D5: Degree of spatial proximity
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 21

20. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Dimensions D1 – D3
• D1: Knowledge Action Types
– Differentiate CKW by the predominant way knowledge workers deal with
knowledge/information
– Possible „values“: acquisition, application, dissemination, …
• D2: Methodology
– Knowledge workers‘ adherence to a common methodology
– Possible „values“: explicit vs. tacit methodology, no methodology
• D3: Interdisciplinarity
– Knowledge workers‘ belonging to one or several domains
– Range: from domain-specific to interdisciplinary CKW
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 22

21. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Dimensions D4 – D6
• D4: Organizational Frame
– CKW can be distinguished by the surrounding organizational frame
– Possible „values“: project, case, spontaneous collaboration (no frame)
• D5: Spatial Proximity
– Differentiation of CKW by knowledge workers‘ physical closeness
– Range: from very direct to remote collaboration
• D6: Involved Knowledge workers
– CKW’s complexity is a driver for the headcount
– Range: from two to countless knowledge workers
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 23

22. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Dimensions D7 – D9
• D7: Temporal Constraints
– Time constraints may also distinguish CKW scenarios
– Possible „values“, e.g.: fixed vs relative deadlines
• D8: Information Interdependency
– Complexity and importance of information interdependencies
– Range, e.g.: from no focus to main focus on interdependencies
• D9: Number of repetitions
– Number of repetitive occurrences of related CKW scenarios (same goal)
– Range: from unique to frequent business cases
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 24

23. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Agenda
1. Problems and objectives
2. Fundamentals
3. Use cases
i. Characteristics
ii. Dimensions
4. Lifecycle
5. Conclusion and Outlook
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 25

24. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
CKW Lifecycle
• Objective IV: Lifecycle support to sustainably foster collaboration
between knowledge workers
• So a CKW lifecycle was created based on knowledge work/
management principles and the BPM lifecycle:
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 26

25. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
CKW Lifecycle
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 27

26. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Agenda
1. Problems and objectives
2. Fundamentals
3. Use cases
i. Characteristics
ii. Dimensions
4. Lifecycle
5. Conclusion and Outlook
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 28

27. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Conclusion
• The support of collaborative knowledge work is a true challenge!
• Provided contribution may be used as a foundation as well as a vision to
gradually extend and interconnect concepts and technologies
• A broad range of available technologies already targeting single aspects, but
the their interplay towards a utilizable support needs way more research
– How to define collaboration templates?
– How to cope with the massive support requirements?
– How to deal with privacy issues? (leveraging records)
– …
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 29

28. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
Thank you
for your kind attention!
Please feel free to ask your questions and give remarks!
September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 30

29. Towards a System Support of Collaborative Knowledge Work | ACM Workshop 2012
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September 3, 2012 Nicolas Mundbrod 31